


Our Beginning

by Antiloquist



Category: Final Fantasy XIV
Genre: Accidental Baby Acquisition, Families of Choice, First Meetings, Gen, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, M/M, Multi, Pre-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-21
Updated: 2019-12-21
Packaged: 2021-02-18 09:17:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,229
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21891775
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Antiloquist/pseuds/Antiloquist
Summary: While out trying to secure their next meal, Sidurgu and Fray stumble upon a squad of Temple Knights escorting a most peculiar prisoner to a certain doom...
Relationships: Fray Myste/Sidurgu Orl, Rielle de Caulignont & Fray Myste, Rielle de Caulignont & Sidurgu Orl
Comments: 3
Kudos: 42





	Our Beginning

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Arcanista](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Arcanista/gifts).



> For Arcanista, from our Secret Santa challenge! Merry Christmas ily <3

The wind whipped coldly through the Coerthas Central Highlands. A storm was well in progress, blanketing the area with drifts of snow that glistened coldly in the fading light of dusk. In the endless expanse of white, there were two black specks, carrying an eft between them. The one in front wore no helm, for not many helms would fit over his horns. The one in back was armored from head to toe, his striking eyes the only thing visible.

“Face it, Sid,” Fray said. “We’re lost.”

Sidurgu rolled his eyes, partially in annoyance and partially to keep them from freezing in his skull. Just a little farther… “And I’m telling you we aren’t, Fray. We just have to get past Witchdrop and then it’s a straight shot back to Ishgard.”

Fray scoffed. “I think your head’s frozen along with those horns.” He shifted his weight, repositioning his grip on the eft. “At least this thing’ll keep in this storm. This’ll feed us for a week!”

“ _If_ we make it back.” Sidurgu squinted against the wind and snow. “See, I told you we weren’t lost.” He pointed to the distance, where he could see a procession of torches headed out towards… the cliffs?

“Wait a second. Are those what I think they are?”

Sidurgu scowled. “Temple Knights,” he spat. A realization dawned on him. “Are they headed to-”

“Witchdrop? Probably. Wonder what poor sod got on their bad side this time.”

“Want to go crack some skulls?” Sidurgu glanced back to Fray, giving the other man a smirk.

Fray dropped his half of the eft, causing Sidurgu to nearly lose his balance with a yelp. He punched a fist into his other palm. “You know it.”

Bagged game all but forgotten momentarily behind a large tree, the two dark knights slowly crept closer to the light. As they neared it, they could hear shouting and laughter. Temple Knights… always too damned happy about condemning another soul to death. Regardless of whether or not the souls in question were actually guilty, the two men had always found the Temple Knights’ method of execution… excessive. Why waste time with semantics when a simple stab through the neck would suffice?

Near the front of the crowd stood a figure in chains, being consistently jabbed forward by the hilt of a sword or the heel of plated boot. Sidurgu and Fray weren’t close enough to make out exactly who this was, but the height suggested a Hyur Midlander, or perhaps a Miqo’te in the wrong place at the wrong time. 

It was only when they came close enough for their figures to just be illuminated by the torchlight did they realize the gruesome truth as they caught a glimpse of the prisoner’s face.

“Shit!” Fray hissed, throwing an arm out to stop Sidurgu from going any closer. “That’s a  _ kid  _ they’ve got there.”

Sidurgu’s eyes widened. “You’re fucking with me.” He squinted to get a better look, lips curling into a snarl when the sight confirmed Fray’s words. “... You’re right. Of course you’re right. Bastards… what has a  _ child _ done to wrong anyone?!”

Fray placed a hand on Sidurgu’s shoulder, knowing his stalwart companion was likely thinking about the past.. “Easy, Sid. Let’s see what we can do to make this right.” He scanned the path ahead; somehow the Temple Knights had yet to see them, lost as they were in the revelry of their perceived ‘justice’.

“What do you see?”

“There’s a bend up ahead. If we run we can leap off the hill ahead and catch them right before they reach the stone. They won’t hear us over the wind until it’s too late.”

Sidurgu nodded. “All right. I trust you. You know I do. Don’t get us killed?”

Under the helm, Sidurgu was certain Fray was fixing him with a shite-eating grin. “You know I can’t promise that. But I’ve got your back if you go in first.” He unhooked his conjurer’s staff from his back, leaving the broadsword there for now. One attacker, one healer; it had worked before and it would work again.

“Always me first…” Sidurgu said, shaking his head as he took off in a jog towards the hill.

“Yeah, because you’re shite at magic and you know it.”

Sidurgu scowled. “Shut it and focus on what’s ahead of us.”

Fray laughed heartily, not more than a pace behind Sidurgu. As expected, without the constraints of a set march, they made it to the bend before the group of Temple Knights.

“How many?” Fray asked as Sidurgu peered over the edge, careful not to let himself be seen.

“I see… six of them. And the kid. The one in front is probably an inquisitor. Gods, I hate them… smarmy arseholes.”

Fray thought for a moment. “Let’s take the inquisitor out first. They’re usually the least armored.”

Sidurgu nodded. “Then the medics, then the mages, yeah?”

“So you do learn after all.” Fray received a rude gesture from Sidurgu in response.

As the Temple Knights just rounded the bend, Sidurgu leapt down from the ledge, sticking the landing in true ‘Dark Knight’ fashion. “End of the line, arseholes!” he yelled. “Let the kid go!”

In an instant, there were six weapons drawn and pointed at Sidurgu. A thud and subsequent crunch of footsteps from behind him told him Fray had landed safely and was likely seeking the proper cover to cast.

“Accomplices of the heretic child?!” questioned the Temple Knight in back.

“It does not matter!” the inquisitor shouted back. “They will die just the same as she, Fury guide us!”

The next few moments were a rush of steel and adrenaline. Sidurgu made quick work of the Inquisitor, fool he was to come out here unarmored. A simple stab in the gut and he was no more.

This seemed to make the others angry. “Murderers!” one yelled. “Heretics! You shall pay for your crimes!”

It was a clash of blows back and forth, with both sides trading nasty hits. Through all of their supposed might and bravado, however, not one Temple Knight had thought to dash past Sidurgu and keep Fray from casting his spells. After Sidurgu took out the lone healer with the group, the two of them had the advantage. At one point, Fray threw down his staff with a resounding “sod this!” and joined Sidurgu with sword in hand.

Perhaps the two men were rougher than they had to be, but the job was done. Where there had once stood six Temple Knights, there now laid six bloodied heaps.

Sidurgu stuck his sword into the snow and used it as a crutch as he doubled over, catching his breath.

“You alright?” Fray called. He was presently making sure that everyone was quite thoroughly dead.

“I’ll live.” He coughed, placing a hand to his side; there was definitely a broken rib or two, if not worse. Fray would have to see to those when they got the kid to safety. Speaking of…

Fray seemed to realize at the same time he did. “Where the hells did the kid go!?” He whipped his head in all directions before picking up a discarded torch and lighting it with a small spark of aether.

A quick sweep of the area revealed a frightened face peeking out from behind a tree. The kid (an Elezen girl, they now realized) was definitely not dressed for the weather. What must have once been an elegant dress befitting a lady of noble birth was now tattered rags, and she was filthy from head to toe. Tear tracks made clean marks down her otherwise dirt-caked face. Sidurgu could feel his heart swelling with rage at the numerous cuts and bruises he could see on the child’s visible skin.

“Fray, get the kid a coat or something,” he said, waving an arm in his companion’s direction. He then took a deep breath, taking a step forward. Gods, he was awful with kids…

The girl gasped and took a step back in turn. Sidurgu sighed. “It’s alright. You’re safe. We aren’t going to hurt you.”

His only response was a silent stare, the girl’s deep green eyes filled with doubt.

Sidurgu ran a hand through his hair. Not knowing what else to do, he planted his sword blade-down in the ground again. “See? No weapons.” The girl still didn’t budge. “We have to get out of here, kid. It’s not safe, especially at night. There’s monsters.”

The girl wrung her hands nervously, seemingly debating with herself. In the end, the desire to get to safety seemed to win out, and she took a shaky step towards Sidurgu.

But a step was all she was able to take before exhaustion took over and she dropped to the ground. Swearing loudly, Sidurgu rushed forward and tried to shake the girl awake to no avail.

“Fray, we have a problem…” he hissed with urgency.

Fray reappeared with a warm coat in his hands. It was much too large for the girl, being Sidurgu’s, but it was better than nothing. Seeing the current state of the kid, he tossed the coat onto Sidurgu (where it caught by his horn, much to the man’s chagrin) and pulled the girl over to him. He hastily took a glove off with his teeth and felt for a pulse, sighing with relief when he found one.

“I think she’s just exhausted. But I won’t be able to tell for certain until we get her somewhere safe. But where?”

Sidurgu frowned. “The settlements are out. It’s likely the people around here know her face.”

Fray thought for a moment. “I think I saw a cave about half a malm back, over where we dropped the eft. We can build a fire and wait for the storm to pass. And I can heal the kid.”

Nodding, Sidurgu wrapped the kid up in the coat. She was so frail and overly thin that the thing engulfed her. Unconsciously, she shivered and attempted to move closer to the warmth. Fray found a key on one of the corpses and used it to unlock the chains on the girl’s arms and legs, which fell to the ground with a muffled thud. The angry red marks left behind did not go unnoticed.

And so they trekked, with Sidurgu carrying the child and Fray carrying the equipment. There was indeed a cave not far from where they’d dropped the eft, and fortuitously it was free of monsters. Not that that would have been a problem for them, Sidurgu thought.

Fray started a fire with aether as Sidurgu laid the girl on top of his coat. Gods, the horror this child must have seen… he couldn’t help but compare her situation to his when he was but a boy. How long had he wandered the streets of the Brume, sick and weak and starving, before his master took him in?

He shook his head clear of thoughts and scooted back some so Fray could get a good look at the girl’s injuries.

“Only cuts and bruises, thank the gods,” Fray said after doing an exam using aether and healing the worst of it with magic. “But she definitely hasn’t been eating enough as of late.”

“No shit,” Sidurgu replied. “Those arseholes don’t exactly believe in ‘three square meals’, now do they?”

Fray shook his head. “I’m going back for the eft. She needs to eat something.” He took two blue bottles out of his pack and set them down next to the girl. “If she wakes up while I’m gone, make sure she drinks that potion. The other one is for you. You definitely cracked some ribs.”

“Damn conjurers…” Sidurgu muttered as Fray left the cave. It was creepy how much they could see with their aether, he thought. The wind howled outside, throwing whips of white around an otherwise pitch black sky.

Grimacing, he popped the cork off the potion and downed it in one go, cringing at the bitter taste. He winced as his ribs reset themselves into place with a series of disconcerting cracks. Good enough for now; Fray could fix the rest later.

A groan from beside him snapped Sidurgu’s attention back to the girl, who was now stirring. She bolted upright and then clutched her head as if the action had hurt her.

“It’s okay. You’re safe now,” Sidurgu said, trying to make his voice sound as calm as possible. Kids liked soft and gentle, right?

The girl fixed him with a fearful look before glancing around at her surroundings. Was she looking for an escape?

“You’re in a cave about half a malm from where we found you,” Sidurgu explained. “It’s too dangerous for us to go back to the city in this storm. We’ll have to take shelter here in the meantime.”

The girl nodded, finally seeming to calm down a bit. She had yet to say a word, but Sidurgu didn’t grudge her for that. If he were a child in the temporary care of two strangers, he supposed he would be quiet too.

He pushed the bottle towards the girl. “Here, it’s a potion. Fray told me to tell you to drink this if you woke up before he came back.”

She looked at it skeptically before shaking her head, pushing it back towards Sidurgu.

“What, you think it’s poison or something? Here.” Rolling his eyes, he took the bottle and uncorked it, taking a small sip and swallowing with disgust. “See? It tastes like dung but it’s safe.”

Frowning still, the girl took the bottle and had the tiniest of sips. She made a face but slowly drained the rest, the cuts and bruises on her skin lessening but not disappearing completely.

“Thank you,” she finally said, voice raspy with thirst and thick with recently shed tears.

“Don’t mention it. Really, don’t.” He looked away so the kid wouldn’t see his face. Genuine appreciation always made him bashful.

They sat in silence for a moment, the crackling of the fire and the howling of the wind the only noise for yalms around.

“Who are you?” the girl finally asked.

“Me?” Sidurgu scoffed. “I’m no one, just another rat down in the Brume like the rest of them.” Another moment of silence as the girl continued to stare at him. He finally relented. “Name’s Sidurgu. The idiot out in the snow right now is Fray. He left to go get us something to eat. It won’t be fancy, but food is food. I hope you like eft tail.”

“I… don’t mind it…” she muttered in response, drawing her knees up to her chest and shivering. Sidurgu moved over to her and draped the previously discarded coat around her shoulders. The girl was quick to clutch it like a lifeline, burying her face into the worn collar.

What had  _ happened _ to this kid? What in the world had happened for the Temple Knights to declare this  _ child _ a heretic? From a cursory glance, Sidurgu didn’t think this kid could even hurt a fly.

“I’m back, thanks for noticing,” Fray called from the mouth of the cave, dragging the frozen eft behind him. There was considerably more blood on him than when he left.

Sidurgu stood to help him drag the large creature over to the fire. He noticed there were now a few bites missing from their kill. “The hell happened to you?”

“The crocs found this guy the same time as I did. They didn’t win.” Fray glanced over. “Ah, the kid’s awake.”

“I have a name,” the girl said, tone far bolder than the two dark knights had expected out of the small child.

Sidurgu shrugged. “It’s not much good if you don’t tell us, you know.”

She thought for a moment. “Rielle,” she finally said. “Rielle de-“ Her eyes flicked down to her lap. “I suppose it’s just ‘Rielle’ now.” She bit her lip. “Mother… Father…”

Sidurgu didn’t know what the hell to say to that. Thankfully, the loud growl of the girl’s stomach interrupted anything he could have said.

“Time for dinner,” Fray said, dragging the eft into his lap and taking out a knife from his pack.

Fray took to carving up the eft to cook, leaving Sidurgu to talk to Rielle. “I don’t suppose you could tell us what happened?” He couldn’t think of anything better to say. That was a start, right?

Rielle’s lip quivered. “I… it’s all a blur. We were having teatime in the foyer when all of a sudden all these knights burst in. There was shouting, and fire, and Father… he...” She buried her head in her hands, trembling. “And then I woke up in a cell. There were men shouting at me, demanding I tell them everything I know. And when I told them I didn’t know what they were talking about, they…” She began to sob.

Oh gods. Sidurgu didn’t know what to do when anyone cried, let alone a small girl. Fray was better at this and they both knew it. But Fray was wrestling with eft meat right now, and it was up to Sidurgu to comfort this kid.

Awkwardly, Sidurgu placed a hand on Rielle’s shoulder. It was enough of a surprise to jolt Rielle right out of her sobs.

“Uh… give me a moment, I’m not good with words.”

This oddly pulled a hiccuping giggle out of Rielle. At least that was progress.

“Oh, not you too.” He sighed, letting the words come to him. “You’re safe here. We’re not going to let anything hurt you, least of all those Temple Knights. Me and Fray, we’ve been fuc- er,  _ screwed _ over by them more than once.” He at least had the sense to watch his language around Rielle, for now at least.

“I-I thought they were  _ good _ people. They were always nice to me, but…” She sniffled, trying to stop the tears.

Sidurgu rolled his eyes. “Yeah, nice until you put one toe out of line.” He ran a hand through his hair. “Look, it’s not all about nice and mean, good and evil. Nice doesn’t mean good and good isn’t always nice. Had to learn that the hard way.”

“I see that now…” Rielle stared into the fire for a moment before glancing back at Sidurgu to say something that had likely been on her mind for a while. “I’ve never seen anyone fight quite like you two. It’s kind of like the Temple Knights, but not… exactly?”

“We’re dark knights,” Fray called from the fire. He had managed to get three skewers of meat roasting. “A long time ago, our old mentor decided the Temple Knights were shit and left them.”

Sidurgu scowled. “Language, Fray.”

Fray barked out a laugh. “Oh, you’re hilarious. Anyway, he took us in when we were kids and taught us all we know. He passed away some time ago, but we’ve tried to keep his legacy alive.”

“How so?”

“To be a dark knight is to walk a path separate from all you knew before. Going against the grain, doing what you think is right rather than what’s popular. And despite what those arseholes might say, we aren’t evil.” Fray sighed, thinking a moment. “I wouldn’t say we’re  _ good _ either. We just… are. We exist without constraints.”

Rielle considered Fray’s words. “That sounds nice. Being free…” She scrubbed at the last of the tears that threatened to fall from her eyes. “When I was in that cell, I thought I’d never be free again. How can I ever thank you?”

“You can survive,” Fray said. “Just you being alive right now is running contrary to what those Temple Knights want. And I can’t think of anything better.”

Sidurgu shrugged. “He said it better than I could.”

Fray pulled the skewers off the fire after he was certain they were cooked enough. “Here,” he said, handing one to Rielle. “I’m no culinarian, but it’s edible… I think.”

To both men’s surprise, she took the skewer and scarfed the meat down, not even stopping to complain about the the rubbery texture. How long had she been in captivity?

It was only after she finished that she realized how fast she had eaten that. “Er, my apologies. I suppose that wasn’t very ladylike of me…” A blush dusted her pale, sunken cheeks.

Fray barked another laugh. “As if we would care about such a thing.” He took his helmet off, revealing his face to Rielle as he took a bite of his own skewer. “Yes… edible.” His nose wrinkled in distaste, but he continued eating anyway as food was food.

“Look at that, you still have a face,” Sidurgu quipped.

“Can it, Sid.” He mirrored the rude gesture Sidurgu had given him earlier, ignoring the latter’s protests about ‘not in front of the kid!’

The three ate in relatively comfortable silence, listening to the howling of the wind outside. It had died down somewhat, but there was still no leaving this cave until at least first light. And then…

Sidurgu frowned down at his now barren skewer stick. “I don’t suppose your parents…”

Rielle shook her head, perhaps a bit too fast. Sidurgu had a feeling she was hiding something, but he knew better than to ask, at least not right now when the trauma was fresh. 

He sighed. “... Right. Alright then, any aunts? Uncles? Cousins, perhaps?”

She shook her head again.

“Do you have  _ anywhere _ to go?”

A moment of silence, another shake of Rielle’s head.

“... Well, shit.”

“Language, Sid.” The smug grin on Fray’s face was unmistakable as he took advantage of the irony of the situation.

Sidurgu ignored Fray’s quip, instead turning to look at the other man seriously. “We can’t take her with us, Fray.”

“And who says we can’t?”

“Uh… common sense?” He looked at Fray incredulously. “The path we walk is dangerous. We can’t have a kid around. She could get hurt. Or drag us down.” He added the last bit on more as an afterthought than anything else, crossing his arms and trying his best to look stern.

Rielle scowled at Sidurgu. “Well, that’s not very nice. I’ll have you know I’m studying conjury!” She crossed her arms grumpily.

Fray looked pleasantly surprised. “Are you? I happen to be a conjurer myself on the side. Perhaps I could teach you a thing or two?” He gave the Rielle a genuine, warm smile.

“You can’t be serious.” Sidurgu ran a hand through his hair again, the other pinching his temple. “You can’t seriously be considering taking on a girl of barely ten summers-“

“Thirteen winters!” Rielle interrupted.

Sidurgu waved a hand at her in dismissal. “She can’t come with us. It’s too dangerous. I don’t want her to get hurt because of us.”

“And what, we send her back to Ishgard to be captured and executed?”

For a moment, Sidurgu was at a loss for words. “... You have a point, damn you,” he finally relented with a sigh. “And I suppose having a dedicated conjurer leaves us both free to fight…” His eyes widened. “Wait, what the hell am I thinking? We don’t know how to take care of a kid, Fray!” He threw his arms up in exasperation, looking mere seconds from leaping to his feet and pacing in worry.

Fray scooted closer to Sidurgu, taking his arms in his hands. “Listen to my voice. Listen to your heartbeat,” he said softly; that damned soothing technique again, Sidurgu thought. Fray’s hands moved down to take Sidurgu’s and hold them. Despite his attempts, it worked. He could feel himself calming down, taking a deep, shuddering breath as his heart rate slowed back to normal.

Leaning forward, Fray pressed his forehead to Sidurgu’s. “It will be alright. We are in this together, you and I.” He pressed a hand to Sidurgu’s scaly cheek. Their faces were barely an ilm apart, and Sidurgu had half a mind to close the distance like they’d done a handful of times before when they’d both had too much to drink, clumsy and curious and-

But just as soon as he’d drawn near, Fray pulled away, giving Sidurgu a soft smile that tugged at the latter’s heartstrings and brought a blush to his face.

(Not that he’d ever admit it, not out loud.)

Fray turned to Rielle. “This isn’t going to be easy, you know. The lives we lead are… difficult at times, even perilous. Do you think you can handle that, Rielle?”

Rielle frowned, wringing her hands nervously like she’d done when they’d first rescued her. “I… I don’t know. But I don’t have anywhere else to go, and if you’re willing to teach me conjury, Ser Fray…”

Fray made a face. “Drop the Ser,  _ please _ . Makes me feel older than I already am.”

Sidurgu shot a grin back at Fray, his first genuine smile of the evening. “Oh, he  _ hates _ that. Also, who are you calling old? We’re practically the same age!”

“You’re uptight enough to be an old man.”

“You can take that opinion and shove it up your-“

Rielle couldn’t help but giggle. “Just Fray, then. And Sid!”

Sidurgu bristled slightly as such a quick jump to a nickname, but he found he… didn’t hate it. 

This was going to be okay.

They were going to be okay.

With Fray at his side, Sidurgu could do anything.

**Author's Note:**

> You all know what happens to Fray next~ ;)
> 
> Do you like screaming about FFXIV fics? Do you like friends? Do you like debauchery? Come join us over at the [book club!](https://discord.gg/hPbnJzu) What originally started as a small group of people screaming about one specific fic regarding Emet-Selch snowballed into a haven for fic writers. Come join the madness!


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